Senior Regional Communications Lead

Webrecruit; Poole; Remote; GBP 51,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

26 days annual leave + Bank Holidays

Competitive pension scheme

Life assurance

Optional health and dental cashplan

Job summary

RNLI is seeking a Senior Regional Communications Lead to steer regional communications across our communities. You will lead a team, translate the organisation's strategy into regional plans, and collaborate with fundraising, operations and water safety to protect and grow our reputation.

The role requires a multi-channel approach, crisis readiness, and being a trusted adviser to senior leaders. It involves travel across Poole regions; home-based with regular travel when needed, and

Qualifications

• Senior communications leadership experience.
• Ability to translate strategy into regional plans.
• Strong stakeholder management and media relations skills.
• Experience in safeguarding and risk communications.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Regional Communications Team and set regional priorities.
• Develop an audience-led, multi-channel regional plan with clear metrics.
• Protect and enhance RNLI's reputation; manage crises and briefing senior leaders.
• Collaborate across functions and support Lifeboat Press Officers network.
• Provide outbound communications advice to senior executives and participate in out-of-hours rota when required.

Skills

Strategic communications

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Media relations

Team leadership

Job description

Senior Regional Communications Lead
Salary: £50,544 - £59,464 (dependent on experience)
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time
Location description: Home based with expectations of regular travel to Poole and around the regions where required
Interview date: 2 - 4 December
Closing Date: 22-11-2026
Reference: 22091

About us

The RNLI's lifeboat crews, lifeguards, water safety team and fundraisers are at the heart of communities around the UK and Ireland, and great communications help people understand, support and engage with our lifesaving work. We're looking for a Senior Regional Communications Lead to lead our Regional Communications Team, helping make sure the RNLI's voice is heard in communities across our regions, our reputation is protected and enhanced, and our communications help build support for our cause.

About the role

This is a senior communications leadership role with the opportunity to lead a team of regional communications specialists and use your expertise to help prevent drowning, promote water safety and ultimately help save lives at sea. As Senior Regional Communications Lead, you'll lead the Regional Communications Team and take responsibility for translating the RNLI's communications strategy into impactful regional communications and stakeholder engagement.

You'll create a clear plan and priorities for the team, driving an audience-led, multi-channel approach to regional media and communications and using clear objectives and measures to understand our impact. You'll play an important role in protecting and enhancing the RNLI's reputation, identifying emerging communications risks and opportunities across our regions and providing expert communications advice to senior leaders. When major issues or crises arise, you'll be confident briefing, advising and influencing senior colleagues and helping shape the RNLI's response. Collaboration will be central to the role. You'll build strong relationships not only within the wider communications and Fundraising and Marketing teams but across wider teams including Operations, Engineering & Supply, Water Safety and the Chief Executive's Office, ensuring regional communications are joined up and support the RNLI's wider organisational priorities. You'll lead and develop a talented team, including Regional Communications Leads and Media Trainers, as well as helping ensure our network of volunteer Lifeboat Press Officers can deliver effective communications in support of our operational, water safety, income generation and reputational priorities.

The RNLI is a 24/7 search and rescue organisation, so as one of our senior communications specialists, you'll also contribute to our out-of-hours duty press manager rota when required.

Some of the benefits

• Salary between £50,544 - £59,464 (dependent on experience)
• Flexible working
• 26 days' annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Competitive pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Optional health and dental cashplan

About you

Your reward will be seeing great communications make a real difference: strengthening the RNLI's reputation, engaging communities, building support for our cause and helping our lifesavers save lives at sea. As Senior Regional Communications Lead, you're likely to be an experienced strategic communications professional who knows how to combine excellent communications judgement with strong, supportive leadership. You'll be an excellent communicator and stakeholder manager who can build creative and productive relationships across an organisation and with external partners and communities. You'll be comfortable operating at a senior level, providing constructive challenge and trusted communications advice when the stakes are high. You'll also be a strong and confident people leader, experienced in developing talented teams working across different geographical areas and creating a clear sense of direction and shared purpose.

Safeguarding and referencing

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person's health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include reference checks at offer stage and relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable) and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.